MARIA in Popsicle
Veteran model, jewelry designer, renowned beauty, wife, mother, and all-around nice gal Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez has stayed in enviably insane shape even years after her runway days (which is probably why she’s recruited to walk the ramp again every once in a while). That’s thanks to killer workouts, healthy eating, and an attitude that is proof positive of the truth that inner beauty is as important as what you look like on the outside. Thus, despite having grown-up kids, Tweetie can still seriously rock a bikini (“My husband Mon prefers them on me,” she says with a laugh) and pass as older sister to model-daughter Sabina (who wears her mom’s designs here).
It makes sense then that Tweetie would know what makes good swimwear, as she spends a lot of time in the water. “I have this insane love of the ocean, and consequently, swimsuits. For as long as I can remember, back when I was much younger and had no design opportunities yet, I would stare at a swim piece and imagine how I could make it better for me, as the wearer. So definitely, the inclination to create my own line of swimwear was born out of my desire to personalize a cut fashioned from my taste and requirements as an avid user.”
MARIA in Olive
CARMEN in Pewter
She takes another crack at designing swimwear with her second collaboration with The Shape Shop, TdLG x The Shape Shop Swim 2023. “This is my second venture into swimsuit production with The Shape Shop, so I felt I had the basics of how things go,” she says. “Having collaborated with them before made the whole venture pleasurable and enriching. We had a few challenges with some designs, especially with the stones, as they needed to be hand-sewn, treated with much care and finished with good quality.”
The TdLG x The Shape Shop Swim 2022 collection will be available starting March 25 at Rhett EALA Store, Greenbelt 5, Makati.
As in everything Tweetie does, the pieces are produced with a lot of heart and insight. “If I could, I would have created more styles to go with this collection. I am so excited putting this together and sharing my style with other women who bravely venture into fun yet comfortable pieces.” There are six styles—three two-piece suits and three one-piece suits—with three color ways for everyone to choose from. Three styles are embellished with carefully selected gemstones—”a signature of my brand, TdLG, because I believe that such elements add a special and unique touch.”
LUCIA in Lilac
NADIA in Pewter
The one-piece suits are sexy yet not risqué, and therefore very wearable for a lot of women with different body types, Tweetie assures. “Though they may seem pretty basic, they have quite a number of fun elements in them. I have put so much of myself in these pieces, and I am truly happy and excited to be sharing them with everyone.”
ADRIANA in Onyx
Swimsuits by TdLG x The Shape Shop
Model: Sabina Gonzalez
Photography: JoAn Bitagcol
